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FLEAS AND TICKS
Just the thought of fleas or ticks infesting your home is enough to make you start to itch. And when you find one, that itchy feeling only gets worse. The population of fleas and ticks has been steadily rising in recent years as these pests become increasingly resistant to traditional methods of treatment. Ticks and fleas in the house can be very difficult to control because of the resistance they have developed. They can pose a serious health risk to humans and pets. Bug Shockers Pest Control offers both flea control and tick control services for to protect your home and family.
Whats the difference between Fleas and Ticks?
FLEAS:
TICKS:
Ticks are small, wingless, bloodsucking arthropods. They burrow their heads into their host and can change drastically in shape, color and size when they become engorged with blood. Ticks have extremely small mouths that usually go unnoticed when they bite. Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia are just a few of the diseases ticks can transmit to humans.
Fleas are small insects that survive by feeding on animal or human blood. Fleas will feed on the blood of any warm-blooded body and typically leave behind itchy, unsightly marks and can cause severe allergic reactions as well. These horrible tiny pests can infest carpet, bedding, couches and chairs. Fleas aren’t just a nusiance. Fleas can carry dangerous diseases. Fleas can carry bacteria like murine typhus and bubonic plague. Fleas are unhealthy for your fur-babies, too. About $2.8 billion is spent annually on flea-related veterinary bills.
Signs of Fleas
If your pet has fleas, an infestation in your home is probably not far behind. In fact, there may already be fleas in your house! Check pet beds! Flea eggs don’t adhere to your pet’s fur as securely as the fleas themselves, so they tend to fall off in places your pet frequents. Your pet’s bed should be the first place you look, as well as any other spots your pet is allowed to sleep, such as on couches, chairs or your bed. Flea eggs are tiny, off-white ovals that can be hard to see on light-colored upholstery and rugs. Check all carpeted areas! Rugs are common places for fleas to lay eggs, so run your hands over your carpet carefully, looking eggs. Again, unless you have dark carpeting, they can be tough to spot. Don't forget to check any hardwood floors and baseboards. Unfortunately, you’re not in the clear if your home has only bare, hardwood floors. Determined fleas will lay eggs in the cracks between wood floorboards.
Signs of Ticks
Tick infestations can occur when just one tick is brought into the home. It’s possible for you or your pets to come into contact with a tick if there are wooded or brushy areas near your home and you’re outdoors when the weather is warm. The tick will attach itself somewhere on your body and bury its head into your skin. After a tick is brought into your home, a tick infestation may occur once the tick reproduces. Ticks can lay their eggs in different parts of the home. However, they typically lay their eggs near baseboards, window and door surrounds, furniture, edges of rugs, and curtains. During a tick infestation in your home, you might find a large number of ticks on yourself or on your pet. Since ticks require blood from people or animals to survive, they will attach themselves to you, your family members, or your pet. Ticks move quickly across the body, but they prefer areas that are warm and moist. They are often found in the armpits, groin, or scalp. Once the tick has found a place it likes, it will bite you and burrow its head firmly into your skin. Unlike other insect bites, this bite is painless.
How to Get Rid of and Prevent Fleas and Ticks:
If you discover that you have a flea or tick issue in your home, vacuum every day, this includes all the carpet, any furniture, cracks and crevices on floors, and along baseboards and the basement. Be sure to wash all pet bedding and family bedding in hot soapy water. There are many flea and tick control options for your animals, but talk with your veterinarian to find the best option for your four-legged friend. If you believe you have a flea or tick infestation in your home, it’s usually faster, more efficient, and more thorough to immediately contact a pest control company. At Bug Shockers Pest Control, we offer inspections and flea and tick control solutions, so contact us today with any flea and tick problems or questions that you may have! To learn more about what our flea and tick treatments look like click to learn more below.